Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
09:47
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
The interrelation between cognitive and motor development in typically developing children aged 4-11 years is
Emma E Davis1, Nicola J Pitchford, Ellie Limback
1School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK.
British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|July 15, 2011
Summary
Cognitive and motor skills are moderately linked in children aged 4-11. Visual processing and fine manual control underpin this connection, with age and sex influencing its strength, offering insights for development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human motor control
Background:
- Cognitive and motor skills are crucial for child development.
- Understanding their interrelation is key for early intervention and educational strategies.
- Previous research suggests a link, but the specific nature and influencing factors require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interrelation between cognitive and motor skills in typically developing children aged 4-11 years.
- To examine how age and sex influence the strength of this relationship.
- To identify specific cognitive and motor components that drive this association.
Main Methods:
- Utilized standardized tests to measure broad cognitive and motor abilities in children aged 4-11.
- Employed correlational analyses to assess the relationship between cognitive and motor scores.
- Conducted principal component analysis to determine underlying factors contributing to the interrelation.
- Analyzed the effects of age and sex on the cognitive-motor correlation.
Main Results:
- A significant, moderate correlation was found between gross cognitive and motor scores across all participants.
- Visual processing (VP) and fine manual control (FMC) were identified as primary contributors to the cognitive-motor interrelation.
- The strength of the gross cognitive-motor correlation varied with age (weaker at 7 years) and sex (stronger in females).
- The VP-FMC correlation remained consistent across most age and sex groups, with an exception in 4-year-old males.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive and motor development are intrinsically linked from an early age in typically developing children.
- Specific abilities like visual processing and fine manual control are key mediators of this relationship.
- Age and sex are important moderators of the cognitive-motor link, highlighting developmental and biological influences.
- Findings have significant implications for clinical, educational, and experimental practices concerning child development.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Information Processing Approach
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
01:14Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Exploration...
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
01:19Piaget's Stage 4 of Cognitive Development
The formal operational stage, as described in Piaget's cognitive development theory, begins around age 11 and extends into adulthood. It marks the emergence of advanced cognitive abilities that differentiate adolescent and adult thinking from those of younger children. This stage is characterized by abstract reasoning, hypothetical-deductive reasoning, and a more complex understanding of self and others.
Abstract Reasoning and Hypothetical-Deductive Thinking
Unlike the concrete operational...
Abstract Reasoning and Hypothetical-Deductive Thinking
Unlike the concrete operational...
01:17Piaget's Stage 3 of Cognitive Development
During Piaget's concrete operational stage, from ages 7 to 11, children exhibit a marked increase in logical thinking skills, specifically in relation to tangible, real-world events. This stage is characterized by the development of several essential cognitive concepts, including conservation, reversibility, and classification, all of which support the child's evolving capacity for structured thought.
Conservation and Constancy of Quantity
A significant cognitive milestone in the concrete...
Conservation and Constancy of Quantity
A significant cognitive milestone in the concrete...